Section 5: Interface Specifications
Page 5-6
XL400/410e Operator’s Manual
5.4 RS232C SERIAL INTERFACE (CONT’D)
Cable Requirements
Data Streams
The data streams for X-On/X-Off are constructed in the same way as they are for
Ready/Busy flow control. The STX and ETX control characters must frame the data
stream. (NOTE: All characters, including STX, ESC and ETX are in ASCII).
Example: <STX><ESC>A . . Job#1 . . <ESC>Z<ETX>
5.5 BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
This is a two-way communications protocol that enables the host to check printer status. When
this protocol is selected, there is no busy signal from the printer (pin 20, DTR, is always high).
The host must request the complete status from the printer, including Ready/Busy. Whenever the
host requests printer status, it transmits an ENQ to the printer and the printer will respond with its
status within five milliseconds. If printing, it will respond upon finishing the current label, then
resume printing. In order for this protocol to work properly, pin 6 (DTR) and pin 5 (CTS) must be
held high by the host. One way to ensure these pins are always in the correct state is to make no
connection to them in the interface cable, or preferably, tie pin 20 (DTR) to pin 6 (DSR) and pin 4
(RTS) to pin 5 (CTS) at the printer end of the cable.
Cable Requirements
Host
Interconnection
Printer
FG
1 FG (Frame Ground)
RD
2 TD (Transmit Data)
TD
3 RD (Receive Data)
4 RTS (Request To Send)
5 CTS (Clear To Send)
6 DSR (Data Set Ready)
*
20 DTR (Data Terminal Ready)
SG
7 SG (Signal Ground)
Host
Interconnection
Printer
FG
1 FG (Frame Ground)
RD
2 TD (Transmit Data)
TD
3 RD (Receive Data)
SG
7 SG (Signal Ground)